Monday, February 20, 2023

Black Future Lawyers and Future of Law Lab logos

 

A continuing partnership between the Faculty of Law and BCE Inc. (formerly Bell Canada Enterprises Inc.) provides an unparalleled opportunity for University of Toronto students to gain early exposure to the legal field from the viewpoint of multiple practice areas.

The BCE Inc. Black Future Lawyers Summer Fellowship places one Black undergraduate from the University of Toronto’s Black Future Lawyers (BFL) program in a 14-week paid summer internship at BCE Inc. The company also supports an additional BCE Inc. Future of Law Lab Summer Fellowship for one current U of T Law student who has shown participation and interest in the intersections between law and technology.

Fellows gain valuable legal industry experience that touches on the intersection of law and privacy, intellectual property, copyright, regulatory issues and other topics related to digital transformation. Fellows also have an opportunity to build their professional network in advance of or during their early legal studies.

BFL engages and supports prospective and current Black-identified law students and offers opportunities for BFL members to participate in special lectures and events, as well as mentorship and job shadowing opportunities.

BFL’s first BCE Inc. fellow, Zubeir Ahmed (HBSc UTSC 2022), joined the BFL through its mentorship program, which pairs prospective Black law students with Black legal professionals. He was studying population health, political science and public law at U of T Scarborough.

“At the time, I was considering applying to law school and had questions about the application process and what life was like as a law student,” says Ahmed. “What better way to get those questions answered than from a practising lawyer?”

In his third-year, Ahmed was able to take part in BFL’s annual conference and says the annual event was a turning point for him considering law school.

“I didn’t feel I fit the competitive requirements, but when I spoke to a law student, they told me they had been in a similar boat, but that law school admissions take a holistic view. It rejuvenated my hopes of going to law school, and made it feel like a real possibility. So, I shifted my mindset: I am going to law school. And just worked as hard as I could.”

Ahmed had already accepted his offer to attend Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in the fall when BFL advertised its summer fellowship opportunity with BCE Inc.

“To be exposed to different areas of the law before even law school started, doesn’t come around too often. I jumped at the opportunity.”

During his 14-week fellowship, Ahmed shadowed different legal groups at BCE Inc., including labour and employment, business law, BCE Inc.’s Bell Media division and the privacy and regulatory team, delving deep into legal research in these areas, compiling case summaries, and supporting the drafting of materials under the supervision of a lawyer.

“It’s been a unique experience, and something I didn’t take for granted,” says Ahmed, of the exposure he received before stepping into his first law school class.

“It exposed me to multiple areas of the law I was interested in pursuing. I’ve also been able to speak with lawyers who have worked in in these areas, to understand what life is like say, as a labour and employment lawyer or as an entertainment lawyer. It’s been extremely valuable.”

Launched in 2020, BFL is a collaboration between U of T Law, the Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA), Black law alumni and the broader legal profession. In 2021, 14 leading law firms supported BFL's national expansion to law schools across Canada, with a combined commitment to provide $1.75 million in operational funding to BFL over the next 10 years.